Enligt The Mirror är Roy Hodgson redan förväntansfull inför januaris transferfönster, trots att ägarfrågan inte är hundraprocentigt fastställd.

Samtidigt uppmanar Roy till lugn bland fansen, och menar att man kommer att vända den oerhört negativa sportsliga trenden.

New England Sports Ventures har som bekant fått sitt bud på klubben accepterat av styrelsen – och nu är det upp till en domstol att avgöra om majoriteten av styrelsen verkligen har rätt att sälja klubben mot aktieägarnas (Hicks och Gillettes) vilja.

Om affären går igenom kommer Liverpool troligtvis att spendera stort i kommande fönster, vilket kommer att ge Hodgson chansen att rekrytera spelare av toppklass.

”It’s very positive and of course I’m delighted. It’s been going on for a long time and I know how hard the board have worked to set things up,” sa Hodgson.

”I know it’s not easy for them because the current owners have other ideas in terms of the sale of the club and what is achievable.

”But I was delighted to hear the news and have it confirmed that it looks like it is going to go through.

”We know what we’ve got to do, we know we need some new players, we know we need investment, and we know we are weak in certain areas of the team.

”But the club will be in a pretty healthy situation in general terms if the sale goes through, and that’s great news.”

Hodgson gör ingen hemlighet av att truppen behöver förstärkas.

”Look, it is clear we need investment, it is clear we need to strengthen in certain areas of the team and bring in more quality.

”But these things have been the case since I arrived at the club and we haven’t had the chance yet to put things right.

”What I ask of the fans is their patience, their trust and their belief. Because we will get it right – there are no doubts about that.

”I can guarantee that at the end of the season we won’t be sitting there at the bottom.

”Sometimes, even after a few games, people see you down there and are ready to pass out, but we’re not panicking. There is a lot more to come.

”A couple of good performances and good wins will put us in a decent position for the season ahead.”